164 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS 



May 20, 1916. 



DOWN THE ISLANDS. 



ITEMS OF LOCAL INTEREST. 



iiEEXADA. Mr. J. C. Moore, the .Superiiiteii'lent of 

 Agriculture, write.s to say that there has been further planting 

 of Lima beans at the St. Cyr Experiment Station and prom- 

 ising growth has been made. In the Botanic Gardens, the 

 new ferroconcrete nursery shade and fence has been com- 

 pleted and has proved satisfactory. It was e.xpected that 

 a meeting of the Board of Agriculture would be held shortly 

 in the Botanic Gardens, thereby providing an opportunity 

 for the members to observe collectively recent improveuients 

 and extension of work. Con.siderable attention has been 

 given recently in Grenada to the cacao prize holdines com- 

 petition for which entries are now being received. The new 

 rules, noted elsewhere in this Journal, are stated to be more 

 popular than the former ones were. As regards markets, 

 nutmegs were fetching remunerative prices, namely, £5 to 

 .£6 per barrel at estate boucan. 



ST. VINCENT. Work in the Experiment Station has 

 consi-sted recently in the reaping of selected corn, laying oat 

 a new series of arrowroot experiments to determine (1) the 

 effect on yield from feeding the arrowroot worm (C'l'podes 

 eih!iiis\ and (2) the manurial value of Madura prunings 

 (^Gliricidia luarulata). As well as this, 1,.500 imported cane 

 plants were inspected. As regards special work by the 

 officers of the Agricultural Department, Mr. W. 1\. Sands 

 says that investigations were continued in connexion with 

 the native food plants of the cotton stainer. Planters have 

 been warned of the danger of allowing 'silk cotton' and 

 'John Bull' trees (Thexpesia populnca) to reuiain on 

 their lands, since these are a source of food for 

 the cotton staincrs during the close season. On several 

 estates active measures have already been taken to 

 remove these trees in order to keep down the stainers 

 which, as is well known, are responsible for very con- 

 siderable lo.sses in connexion with St. Vincent cotton. 

 The Assistant Agricultural Superintendent has devoted 

 attention to the hybridization of the Fi corn hybrids of 

 American varieties by native yellow, and to the selection of 

 bush Lima beans of the Fi generation. A large number of 

 cotton growers from the South Grenadines were met at the 

 St. Vincent Government Ginnery, and questions connected 

 with cotton, such as seed for planting, meal and manure, 

 were di.scussed with them. As stated in previoiis notes 

 of departmental interest, the Agricultural Superintendent 

 has now taken over the supervision of the Govern- 

 ment Cotton Ginuerj'. At the time of writing a coming 

 event of interest was the holding of meetings in out-districts 

 to advi.se small growers as to the j'lanting of crops for 

 the coming season. Observations relating to staple crops 

 showed the weather was favourable to the reaping of canes 

 arrowroot and peas crops. The crop of pigeon peas, whi'h 

 was larger than usual, met with a ready sale at remunerative 

 prices in intercolonial markets. An extension of cane and 

 arrowroot planting was to be noted. The rainfall during 

 April was seasonable. 



.ST. Luui.\. ]SIr. A. J. Brooks the Agricultural Superin- 

 tendent, states that during March cacao was being reaped 

 and the lime crop was flowering. Harvesting of the cane 

 crop was in full swing: rain .somewhat interfered with 

 operations. In the I'^xperiment Station, work consisted in 

 reaping canes and manufacturing sugar, sowing Itobusta coffee, 

 transplanting limes, bndding oranges, potting ornamental 

 plants. Several improvements are in progress in the Botanic 

 Gardens, including road making and the raising of lawns. 



Dominica. Mr. Joseph Jones writes to say that the 

 usual routine work has been in progress in the lime and cacao 

 experiment stations, while in the Botanic Gardens various 

 repairs have been efFect;ed. Concerning the condition of the 

 staple crops, tiiere was no special change to record at the 

 time of writing. It may be mentioned, however, that owinf 

 to lack of shipping facilities, the green lime trade is likely to 

 suffer considerably. A considerable portion of one .shipment 

 was left behind. Mr. Jones states that the economic 

 collection in the Victoria Museum has been gone through, and 

 several specimens renewed and a large number relabelled. 

 Experiments on the concentration of lime juice by freezing 

 has been bi ought to a close, and an account of this investiga- 

 tion will appear in the forthcoming Annual Report for 19i.5- 

 16. As regards agricultural education the pupils at the 

 station received attention in l)oth field and class work. They 

 left for their Easter vacation on April 19 and returned on 

 May I . During April the weather was dry. The plants 

 distributed consisted of limes 200, shade trees 100, budded 

 citrus 9, miscellaneous .3, giving a total of 312. 



ST Ki-iTs. Every eflor", writes Mr. F It. Shepherd, is 

 being made to take off the old cane crop as quickly as 

 possible. The Basseterre factory is doing good work, havin" 

 one week made 600 tons of sugar. The muscovado 

 estates, it is said, are hampered as theycmnot get their 

 sugar shipped. Large stocks are on hand. The young cane 

 crop is looking well but ra'n is much needed especially in the 

 valley district. .\s regards cotton, many fields have been 

 planted in the northern districts and the young plants are 

 looking well. The estates in the valley distr.ct are prepirinc 

 to plant with the first rains. Mr. Shepherd says it seems 

 likely that the acreage under cotton will be greatly increa.sed 

 this season. He accompanied the Administrator to Nevis 

 during April, and a meeting was held with the object of 

 encouraging cottjn growing. An account of this meeting is 

 given on another page in this issue. With a similar object .Mr. 

 Shepherd visited .\nguiila. In the experiment station, the prin- 

 cipal work has been reaping the exp riment plots and testin" 

 the sugar-cane varieties grown thereon. P>oiu the station 

 1,200 sweet jiotato cuttings were distributed during the 

 month, together with 9Dci. of beans. The rainfall during the 

 month has been rather meagre. 



NEVIS. The cane crop appears to be promising e.xcept in 

 some places where it has felt the dry weather. Reaping of 

 the crop is still in progress and the returns are good. 

 A part of the crop is being sold to tlie St. Kitts factorv and 

 a part nvuU into sugar, but there is some difficulty in getting 

 the sugar .shipped. As regards cotton, the land is being 

 prepared for planting but little has yet been sown. As in 

 St. Kitts, there is likely to be a fair acreage put into culti- 

 vation this season. It is to be regrettecl that old cotton 

 is still seen standing about in many fields. Internal boll 

 disease has been found in some fields and stainers arc fairly 

 plentiful. Ilainfall during the mon'h was moderate. The 

 report of the Agricultural Inslructor for the quarter ending 

 March .'51 contains the results of last season's niinurial 

 experiments with cotton. It ai)pe,us that organic manures 

 have exerted a very considerable stimulating effect, givin" 

 increa.sed yields. The onion industry in Nevis is incieasinf 

 satisfactorily. During the quarter 2,011 lb. of onions were 

 sold in the locil market, and some were sent to Barbados. 

 Attention has been given to the .se'ection of cotton, and to 

 the cultivation of beans and peas. 



tortola. According to Mr. I'ishlock's report, dated 

 April 11, 1916, the sugar crop in Tortola will be larger than 

 was at one time expected. The lime and cotton crops will 

 al.so exceed expectatioUsS. In the case of onions, already more 



